Page 17 of Thrown

He gestured to the heart of the game. Two parallel tracks had been set up on the grass of the closed in area. At either end sat what looked like giant rocking horses, only without the rockers. Instead, they’d been fastened to rolling tables that ran along thetracks. Each one was vaguely painted, red and yellow on one side, blue and green on the other.

“We roll you down the tracks,” the kid went on, nodding to a couple other young volunteers who manned the game, “and you try to hit each other with those noodles.”

He pointed to a barrel filled with pool noodles that had been painted silver. Whatever thoughts Toby might have had about how desperately Health and Safety would disapprove of the game vanished at the sight of the noodles. He could smack Robbie as hard as he wanted with one of those—and he really wanted to pummel the bastard—and he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

But then the kid went on with, “After a couple of passes, you get off the horses and move to hand-to-hand combat. We’ve got these babies for that.”

He proudly stepped to the side and grabbed a pole with thick pads on either end that made it look like a giant cotton swab. Toby had seen similar things on that modern day gladiator show on telly, and he’d always wanted to try knocking someone around with one.

The morning was looking like it would turn out alright after all. He was more than ready to take Robbie the snobbie down a couple pegs.

“Suit me up,” he told the kid playfully.

A crowd had definitely gathered by the time the kid, Lionel, helped him into some of the padded armor. As much as Toby would rather have continued his battle with Robbie in private, there was a certain degree of satisfaction in having an audience for the moment when he showed off that he was stronger than he looked. It reminded him a little of afternoon school yard fights when the cunts who had picked on him had walked away with bloody noses for their troubles.

At the same time, as much as he wanted to stick it to Robbie, there was something unsettling about the interactionsthey’d just had. Whether Robbie saw it or not, Keith was a total wanker. And yet, Robbie was clearly still eating his heart out over the man for some reason. He wasn’t the sort Toby would have looked twice at, what with his slippery way of talking and the obvious disregard he had for Robbie’s feelings.

And Toby knew all about lashing out when you felt vulnerable. He didn’t mind being Robbie’s punching bag, because it meant he could punch right back. But as he finished donning his armor and peeked to the side to watch Robbie finish up with his, Toby definitely noted the overly serious frown Robbie wore and the tension that tightened his otherwise perfect body.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Lionel called out, playing up to the crowd that continued together. “I present you with this epic joust between Sir Toby of Tillman and Hawthorne’s very own master potter, Robbie the Wheel Hawthorne!”

The crowd got into it right away, cheering and applauding as the other two assistants came to escort Toby and Robbie to their mounts.

“Play up for the crowd,” the teenage girl who had taken Toby’s arm encouraged him. “They love that.”

Toby immediately got into character. He preened and held his arms wide, inviting the crowd’s adulation and waving his hands to encourage it. Right away, he decided he would be the anti-hero, the one the crowd loved to hate and hated that they loved. He played into that by making a face at Robbie, who was clearly the traditionally handsome and noble hero, and by blowing a raspberry at him.

The crowd loved it, laughing and cheering. Robbie obviously didn’t love it. He was all frowns and focus as he waved once to the crowd, then let the other assistant help him on his “horse”.

As soon as Robbie met his eyes, Toby shook his head, as if disappointed. In a way, he was disappointed. In the last fewdays, if he’d learned anything, it was that Robbie was a pulsing mass of potential who was being held back by something. After meeting Keith, Toby felt like he was zeroing in on what that obstacle was, but he still couldn’t figure Robbie out.

Robbie had everything that he’d never had. He’d been raised with money, a loving family, and a place in the world. As far as Toby was concerned, he was wasting everything, and that was the greatest sin anyone could be guilty of.

Maybe a knock upside the head would snap the bastard out of whatever gilded chains he’d tied himself up in.

“Gentlemen, take your positions!” Lionel called out.

Playing up to the crowd, Toby immediately turned around and showed Robbie his arse. He even patted it for good measure.

The crowd roared with laughter. Well, all except that one family who had overheard him cursing earlier. It was like they were following him around, like the charity workers who had been assigned to help his mum when he was growing up, but who only ever made anyone they looked at feel like shit.

Toby straightened and moved around to sit on his rolling horse.

“You’re doing great,” the teenager giggled at him.

Robbie didn’t think so. If the glare Robbie was sending him from across the grass was any indication, he was about to be hit hard with a pool noodle.

Good. Toby welcomed it. Robbie would probably develop cancer or an ulcer if he didn’t let loose some of the anger he was clearly clamping onto anyhow.

Whatever expectation Toby had of flying across a jousting field in a glorious spectacle was flattened as the teenage girl got behind the fake horse and pushed. She wasn’t a delicate English rose or anything, but she had to put in a lot of effort to make the horse roll sedately along the track at a laughable pace. Again, Toby understood why no one was particularly concernedabout anyone getting hurt in the game. It was actually a little embarrassing how slow they moved.

All embarrassment was forgotten when Toby and Robbie met in the center of the tracks. The serious, furious look in Robbie’s eyes was too much, and the way he held his pool noodle like it was an actual lance made Toby want to roll his eyes.

Instead, Toby took advantage of the three seconds when the two of them were close enough to swing his noodle at Robbie and bash him across his body a few times before they were too far apart to reach each other. Robbie hadn’t even tried to swing at him.

Once they’d passed, Toby twisted to look over his shoulder. Robbie had done the same. He wore an indignant look that had Toby laughing out loud. The man was an absolute wanker. If he took himself any more seriously, he’d probably burst into a pile of dust.

When they reached the end of the track, in order to turn the horse around, all the teenage girl had to do was pop the head off and move around to attach it to the other side. Toby laughed and swung around to face the other way once she did.

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